Be ladder safe both at work and home

On average more than 930 workers in British Columbia are seriously injured each year due to falls from ladders and many of those incidents were preventable.

With the holiday season in full swing, WorkSafe BC wants you to know that using a ladder around the house has risks too.

WorkSafeBC has released six new ladder-safety videos to remind workers, employers and homeowners to use ladders safely, both on the job and while decorating at home for the holidays.

“Last year, more than 1,000 workers were seriously injured in falls from height, including while using step ladders, extension ladders and scaffolding,” says Dan Strand, Director of Prevention Field Services for WorkSafeBC.

“The new videos and our ladder safety resources illustrate how the right ladder, the correct positioning and hazard assessments could prevent a life-changing serious injury or death.”

From 2012 to 2016, six workers died and there were 4,920 accepted time-loss claims — including 1,634 serious injuries — as a result of falls from ladders across all industries in B.C.

It’s time to use ladders safely:

Select the right ladder for the job and ensure the ladder is long enough to extend one metre above the upper landing

Place the ladder on a firm, level surface and inspect it before each use to ensure it’s in good working condition, looking for issues such as cracks or loose rungs

Always maintain three points of contact while climbing a ladder: two feet and one hand or two hands and one foot

Don’t carry heavy or bulky objects while climbing up or down a ladder

Don’t work from the top two rungs of the ladder or have more than one worker on a ladder at once

Wind, rain, and snow may pose additional hazards that need to be mitigated

Check for power lines and ensure a minimum distance of three metres can be maintained at all times before starting work